1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to automatic vending machines, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for vending food products including popcorn and ice in a hangable paper or plastic bags that can be sealed to provide quality of the products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years, paper and plastic bags have been widely used in supermarkets and stores for a number of purposes due to their low cost, lightweight, and relatively strength. However, present bags, of all sizes and configurations are provided only for hand operation purposes and can""t be used in automatic vending machines. Some attempts to use present bags in automatic vending machines haven""t a practical application. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,539 discloses a device for making, bagging, and delivering a sealed bag of ice to a consumer. The machine has a replaceable roll of plastic material which is conveyed through it and also, cutting and heat-sealing means for producing completely sealed bags of ice. As described in this patent the upper edge of the bag, while the bag is filling with ice, is being held by negative pressure of a vacuum tube means. It""s simple but not simple enough for stability of the machine running and is unreliable. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,137,098 and 6,204,491 are describe a microwave popcorn bag technology adapted to contain a plurality of popcorn kernels with a predetermined amount of oil and spice to be heated and popped within the interior of the bag (by microwave energy). These technologies for automatically producing sealed bags with popcorn have some disadvantages:
a) The machine can produce only small packs of popcorn;
b) The process of cooking is complicated: at first time the corn seeds must be sealed in packs and only then these packs can be cooked.
To the description of the Prior Art related also U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,940 that describes a novel construction whereby pail boxes can be automatically made inside of a vending machine for packing with goods. However, this patent, for whatever reasons, has not found practical use.
Consequently, these deficiencies in sum create need for a novel construction of bags that can be used in automatic vending machines for packing and sealing widely assorted products.
Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide an automatic vending technology for vending products, particularly popcorn and ice, whereby consumer can purchase product in sealed paper or plastic bags of multiple sizes by depositing a special amount of money into the slot of the machine.
Another object of the invention is to provide improved hangable paper and plastic bags capable for use in automatic vending machines for vending products in sealing packages.
In accordance with the present invention the automatic vending machine comprises: a housing for holding the components of the machine, an industrial apparatus with dispenser adapted to produce and dispense product of definite quality to the predetermined place, a rack means for hanging and delivering next bag to the loading area of said dispenser, a vacuum means for opening the top edge of the bag and also for withdrawing the completely sealed bag with product from said rack, a retaining means for retaining the rear wall of the bag while the vacuum means will gripped the front wall to provide an opening of the bag, and hangable paper or plastic bags suited for use with this automatic vending technology. In order that the invention and objects thereof may be readily understood and put into practice, reference will now be made to the various figures of the following drawings.